The present invention relates to an electrical connector provided with a moving plate.
One example of a connector provided with a moving plate is described in JP 11-204184. This connector correctly aligns tabs of male terminal fittings housed within a hood of a male housing, and prevents an external force from being exerted on these tabs. The moving plate has maintaining holes through which the tabs of the male terminal fittings pass. The moving plate is inserted into the hood in a manner whereby it can move along the fitting direction of male and female housings, the moving plate first being attached to an opening end of the hood in a location whereby the maintaining holes are in the vicinity of tips of the tabs. While the female housing is being fitted into the hood of the male housing, the moving plate moves inwards relative to the hood, the tabs enter the maintaining holes, and corresponding male and female terminal fittings make mutual contact.
In the case where this type of connector needs to be waterproofed, a sealing ring is usually attached between an inner circumference face of the opening end of the hood of the male housing and an outer circumference face (this being located opposite the above-mentioned inner circumference face) of the female housing.
If the sealing ring is attached to the outer circumference face of the female housing, the sealing ring is exposed when the female housing has not yet been attached. Consequently, it is necessary to provide a protecting wall to surround and thereby protect the sealing ring. This increases the diameter of the connector. Conversely, if the sealing ring is attached to the inner circumference face of the opening end of the hood of the male housing, the anterior end of the hood must be extended in order to prevent the sealing ring from interfering with the moving plate that is attached within the hood. As a result, the size of the connector increases in an axial direction. That is, in the conventional case, if a connector provided with a moving plate is to be waterproofed, the size of the connector will invariably increase.
The present invention has taken the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a means for waterproofing a connector provided with a moving plate without requiring an increase in size of the connector.
According to the invention there is provided a connector comprising a male housing having a hood, and a female housing insertable in a fitting direction into said hood to a fully fitted condition, said first housing having terminals protruding in the hood in the fitting direction, and a plate in the hood, said plate being generally perpendicular to the fitting direction, having apertures to receive said terminals, and being movable in the hood in the fitting direction along said terminals, characterized in that said plate is provided with an external sealing member for an inner circumferential face of said hood, and an internal sealing member for an outer circumferential face of said female housing.
Such a construction avoids the need for enlargement of the connector to accommodate sealing rings.
Preferably the mouth of the first housing is stepped inwardly at the innermost region of the hood so as to provide a sealing surface for the external sealing member whilst avoiding excessive friction as the plate moves towards the fully fitted condition.
The inner and outer sealing members preferably overlap in the direction perpendicular to the fitting directionxe2x80x94this arrangement minimizes the size of the plate, and consequently the hood.